Traveling back to the Wind Estate while the sun has fully been set was far more enjoyable than being under its powerful rays. Once she had entered the estate's grounds, Giyuu had actually passed by a few higher ups leaving for patrol. They bowed to each other and exchanged pleasantries, welcoming her back so early and giving her praise for doing so. Giyuu had nodded and wished them luck on their patrol, seemed it was enough for them to beam at her before heading off. Walking up to the short engawa, Giyuu was pleased to see they hadn't locked the door after noticing her. While on a technicality, she did live at the estate, no one had ever gotten around to giving her a key. Not that she'd truly need one, if worse comes to worse, Giyuu would just break the lock as her lover did to her own estate.
Quietly shutting the large door, Giyuu switched the lock. Large doors were really the only ones she remembered to lock. It was the only lock in the small hutch she lived in while training with Urokodaki and Sabito. The space was so small and simple that if someone was in a room parallel to you, you'd immediately know.
Giyuu has been thinking about Master Urokodaki quite a bit today… Himejima's training truly reminded her of the time she spent in those mountains. She really should write to him, tell him about her engagement. Giyuu isn't exactly sure how he'd react, if he reacts… While he's always responded to her letters, he was a recluse and enjoyed his privacy. Giyuu recalls seeing him seem rather annoyed when he received multiple letters from those he used to work with or people that wanted his assistance even in his retirement. She was guilty of that when she sent Tanjiro and his sister to the mountain… Nevertheless she should inform him.
…
The halls were quiet yet not completely silent as Giyuu heard the soft snoring of corps members while she stalked towards the restricted section. Standing outside the sliding door she has become so accustomed to seeing at the end of her nights, Giyuu made sure to be extremely careful while opening it. If Sanemi was awake, it was a fair game for her to jump him to initiate intimacy. However, if he was sleeping, she did not wish to wake him. Sanemi has terrible issues sleeping, if he managed to get some shut eye, she'd feel terribly for disturbing him. Giyuu would simply stay in one of the spare rooms if that's the case. She could always see him in the morning before their training began. Peaking inside— "Ah…" the bedroom was empty. Giyuu pushed the door open wider to step inside and take a look around the room. Her eyes settled on their futon, the blankets were made as if no one had even attempted to lay down on them. Sticking out her bottom lip, Giyuu already had a good idea where he could be. That being if he didn't go on a spontaneous patrol.
….
Giyuu didn't silence her footsteps as she walked through the halls. Getting closer to the tea room, she saw a dim light through the crack. She'll be cautious in case it's actually one of the Kakushis or Kinoes— the door opened quickly, Sanemi stuck his head out with a scowl, looking like he had just taken in a breath to reprimand someone. He had most likely assumed she was one of the lower ranked slayers training at the Wind Estate sneaking around after curfew. Sanemi's thin brows rose as he quickly recognized her, nearly choking on his words before regaining his composure. "You're back early. Thought you were going to stay at the inn." He crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame, she caught his eyes scanning her as if looking for an injury that would explain why she returned earlier than they spoke about.
"Orginally I was going to. However I changed my mind once I was outside the building." Giyuu explained, taking a step closer to the doorframe and Sanemi himself, peering inside, she caught a glimpse of polishing oil next to his Nichirin blade on the table along with some rags. There was a lit candle with an automatic snuffer ring around the base. Seems he was trying to keep himself busy throughout the night with how low the ring was. Blue eyes flickered back to his face, his eyes didn't look bad, perhaps just a bit tired. Then again it hasn't even been twenty-four hours since she left. "Were you planning on turning in any time soon?"
"No." he answered honestly. "There's still shit I can get done before my eyes start failing me." Sanemi snorted, he really was planning on pulling an all-nighter until exhaustion hit. However he was able to stay up multiple nights in a row depending how hard his adrenaline was pumping. The man could overcome nearly anything with his insane willpower.
"Oh, fantastic. Then I won't be keeping you from resting." Giyuu gave a nod, breaking the distance between them and coming straight for Sanemi's side.
He raised a thin brow, extending his arm when Giyuu gently reached for it. "What do you have in mind—hey!" Sanemi gasped as Giyuu suddenly gripped his arm tightly, tugging it over her shoulder. "Wait—" an abrupt, wheezing laugh came from Sanemi's lips as Giyuu suddenly bent her knees to have him lean over her slightly then suddenly standing with his feet being lifted off the ground. "My god!" Another near hysteric laugh came from his throat, clearly not expecting yet finding it very amusing his fiancé decided it was his turn to be lifted.
Giyuu huffed at Sanemi's weight, he was mainly muscle after all and her body was still sore from Himejima's training just hours ago. "You often carry me to the bedroom when you want me. So I thought it'd be fair to carry you since I want you." She turned, minding Sanemi's head to not accidently hit him into any of the walls and began making her way quickly towards the restricted hall.
Sanemi rested his hand on the small of Giyuu's back, a way to balance himself. It wasn't as if he was used to being lifted in such a way. A few Kaushis had to carry him off after intense injuries, however it was never as Giyuu was currently doing. Plus he was normally in and out of consciousness by then. He couldn't help but imagine if they were on a mission together and he had gotten severely injured, she really would be able to aid him in battle in every sense. "Well fuck! Is that why you came back early? Got too horny?" He chuckled, attempting to look at her from the odd angle.
"Not exactly… I had full intentions of staying at the inn. However I had gotten aggravated by something in the village and when I arrived at the inn, I no longer had any desire to stay the night there. I wanted to come back here to you so I could rest beside you." Giyuu confessed, making quick work through the silent halls. She didn't wish to wake anyone and definitely didn't want to be stopped by anyone during her mission to their bedroom. "The idea to have sex with you occurred on the way over. I remembered what was waiting for me here when I came back and it excited me. However, if you were sleeping, I was just going to let you rest. But, if you were awake without any real responsibilities, I was going to drag you to our bed." Giyuu informed him casually as she entered the restricted hall, straight towards the end where their bedroom door is just patiently waiting to be opened.
"Ha!" Sanemi barked a laugh. "As if you have to drag me to bed!" Sanemi reeled his hand back, bringing it down to slap harshly against Giyuu's ass. A squeak escaped her mouth as she jumped from the impact.
Giyuu had just opened the door to their room as the spank happened. She cursed, using her foot to close the door, the moment she did, Giyuu rotated her weight over her shoulder to drop Sanemi onto the futon.
"Ack! Fuck." Sanemi grunted as he landed. "Oof—!" He was winded as Giyuu suddenly flopped her own body on top of him. "Jeez!"
"You normally act as if I weigh nothing. So me falling on you shouldn't be much of an issue." Giyuu considered making herself dead weight, instead she decided to just limply lay over her lover.
"There's a difference between falling over someone and jumping on them!" Sanemi clicked his tongue, reaching his hand around and squeezing Giyuu's ass cheek. "You're such a brat." He sighed with no real bite behind his words. "Before you get too comfortable at my expense, get the oil from the chest." That caused Giyuu to perk up, she quickly pecked his lips before sloppily standing up from his body and making quick work towards the chest of drawers.
Giyuu didn't need to ask where the personal oil was, she opened the top drawer, moved aside some folded fabrics and pulled out the little glass jar. Examining the jar, her stomach fluttered seeing it had possibly a quarter left. Seeing that… It really hit home just how often they were having sex. She really should ask Shinobu for more tea, and should thank her again for it. Even if it tastes disgusting. Shaking the bottle towards him, "Looks like we'll have to get some more." Giyuu spoke out loud, feeling eager as Sanemi already began to strip off his top.
"Then that's just what one of us will have to do. Can't be helped we fuck like animals." Sanemi tossed his sleeveless uniform top to the side while his focus was on Giyuu as she walked over to him. His hands reached for her hips while he still sat on the futon, stopping her before she sat down on top of him once more. Undoing her large white belt, Sanemi pulled her pants down, helping her step out of them before tossing the pants to the side. There was a thud from the novel in one of the oversized pockets, but that couldn't be bothered at the moment.
Large hands felt up her bare thighs, a groan left Sanemi's mouth, taking her body in, as if he's never been so up close and personal with it. Leaning forward, Sanemi's lips grazed over her skin, kissing at her thighs. A small, satisfying hum left Giyuu's throat, she lifted her leg that he was kissing to rest over his shoulder. She could feel a growl vibrate from Sanemi's lips as his kisses on her thigh became firmer, his hand snaking around her leg to squeeze at one of her ass cheeks all the while he sucked then bit at her soft skin.
"Ah—!" Giyuu's body flinched from the spark of pain that exploded up into arousal in her stomach. Using her free hand, she ran her fingers through Sanemi's wild hair, urging him closer. A sharp gasp escaped her lips when Sanemi inched his face towards her crotch. Sanemi was groaning and licking over her fundoshi that hid his prize. He pulled her closer by gripping her ass harder and practically forcing her to grind against his face. "Nghh— Sanemi." Giyuu grunted at the teasing licks and how he mouthed at her crotch even with the undergarments in the way; the material felt wet from the inside and outside now. His free hand quickly went under her leg that was over his shoulder, raising it up higher to give him a far better angle for his endeavor.
Sanemi released the grip on her ass, his fingers pushed aside her fundoshi, licking directly at her wet lips. He practically moaned from tasting her, dipping his tongue inside before swiping it up towards her aching clit. Sanemi's mouth rumbled against her sensitive hood, he gave a guttural groan from his throat while he spoke against her heated skin. "Fuck, Yuu." He lapped heavily at her cunt, sucking on her dripping lips as he pulled back, making her moan and tremble around his head. "How the fuck do you always taste so good, huh?" Lilac eyes gazed up at her, making solid eye contact. "So god damn wet too." Sanemi groaned, bringing her leg higher as his tongue dipped and flicked at her dripping cunt. Giyuu panted, her single leg on the ground began to tremble from the lashing his tongue gave her pussy. "Gonna get me fucking drunk." Sanemi slurred against her bottom lips, immediately diving back in once his point was made.
Giyuu moaned, bending her leg over his shoulder to bring him closer to her crotch, her hand clutching at his short hair while he moved his head to eat her out. She gasped, wanting to so badly chase her own pleasure, just to throw her head back and hump his face. However she'd much rather have the cock that eluded her that morning. Grasping the white locks tighter, Giyuu gathered her willpower and pulled herself away while keeping Sanemi's head back. She took in a composing breath, chest heaving. "H—hold on."
Sanemi's lips and chin glistened in the moon's light that shone through. "Close?" He asked, voice rough with his own arousal.
"Yes-"
"Perfect." Sanemi interrupted, immediately trying to push his face back between her thighs.
"Hold on, hold on! You damn, beast." Giyuu protested, though her hole was clenching around nothing from how eager Sanemi was for her to reach her orgasm. "I want your damn cock. You wouldn't give it to me this morning." Giyuu couldn't exactly beat around the bush with Sanemi. If she wanted him to do something, she needed to be as direct as possible.
"And you'll get it." Sanemi insisted, raising her leg he was still holding higher, thankfully she was flexible enough. "After I finish my meal."
Giyuu had to quickly push Sanemi's head back with the heel of her palm, he growled at her like a hungry animal around food. "Training was exhausting today and I was irritated from that damn village, it wasted the majority of the energy I had. I'm far too tired to go multiple times. I told you I want your cock." Giyuu relayed her desires plainly to him, eyes narrowed as she told him exactly what she wanted. Her grip hardened around his hair. "I want to come on your cock and go to sleep."
Lilac eyes were suddenly wide staring up at her from where he sat, there was a twitch from under Sanemi's uniform pants. The albino man licked his lips, savoring her taste before wiping his face. "A woman that knows what she wants, huh?" He grinned at her, composing himself from the sudden intense arousal and devotion that rushed through him, sending a majority of his hot blood straight to his throbbing cock.
"Correct."
The shift was quickly made, Sanemi lowered her leg, immediately Giyuu sat on her knees, the fat on her inner thighs squishing softly. Placing the glass bottle of oil down beside them, Giyuu made fast work of undoing Sanemi's belt. She didn't bother to take off his pants to make him completely nude. There was a sense of urgency, while Sanemi could force himself to stay awake for days, if there was no adrenaline pumping through her veins, she was bound to collapse. And Giyuu would like that to happen after she came on Sanemi's cock. Fishing said cock out from behind the white fabric, Giyuu pumped it, marveling at the shaft as if she hadn't seen it dozens of times at this point. Her fingers traced the protruding vein along the length, then all the way up to the angry looking bulbous tip. Shuffling back slightly, Giyuu leaned over, swiping her tongue around the head, earning a shiver and a drawn out groan in return. Taking the head into her mouth, her pussy clenched feeling Sanemi's hand run up her side, all the way along to her neck then hair. Giyuu swallowed around the tip, bracing herself as Sanemi took hold of her low ponytail, fisting it firmly at her roots. As shameful as it was, Giyuu felt herself drip down her thighs with how turned on she was. Like she anticipated, Sanemi's strong hold on her hair pushed her further down his cock. She relaxed her jaw, taking more of his length in her mouth before he tugged her hair harshly to force her head to bob back and forth in a slow manner. A moan vibrated around his cock at the treatment. The hair pulling didn't help settling down her arousal, Giyuu felt incredibly wet sucking Sanemi's cock.
"There we go…" Sanemi moaned, lulling his head back as he controlled the pace of Giyuu's mouth with a solid hold on her ponytail. Her moaning while he did was just icing on the cake. Sanemi leaned back on his free hand, leisurely pulling Giyuu up and down on his cock. He shivered, hot desire going up his spine as the noises coming from Giyuu's mouth were becoming audible. Tiny gags and slick, sloppy sounds were emitting from behind her lips. The woman was always so put together and stoic, it stroked his ego to make her into such a mess. He sped up the pace, the lewd sounds becoming louder as he did; Giyuu's hands came up to support herself on his thighs; yet didn't stop him. Her gag reflex was slowly retreating, as much as he wanted to hold her down to the root of his cock, he still couldn't just yet. Though the improvement was impressive since the first time. Sucking cock was a lot more challenging than just slurping and licking at a cunt, there was a large size difference he attempted to be mindful of. Sanemi's eyes flickered to movement, Giyuu had pressed her thighs together, rocking her hips subtly. That's right, something even better than her mouth that wanted to be filled. Sanemi pulled Giyuu off on the next controlled bob of her head, she gave a surprised little sound, saliva trailing and connecting her mouth to his cock. Sanemi whistled at the sight, using his fingers to wipe off the pre cum and spit. "Isn't this a pretty sight?" Sanemi teased, bringing his now wet fingers to his mouth to clean off. "Thought you wanted my cock to fill your other pretty hole." He teased with a smirk.
With a tiny huff, Giyuu rolled her big blue eyes harmlessly. "Shut up." Using the back of her hand to clean the rest of her mouth, Giyuu reached for the glass bottle. Once it was in her hand, she uncorked it, shuffling closer to Sanemi till their knees touched. Giyuu poured the slippery liquid in her hand, trying not to spill it on either the futon or Sanemi's pants that were open for his cock to be out. Placing the flat bottom bottle down, Giyuu massaged the oil in her hand before reaching out and coating Sanemi's cock with it. He grunted as she pumped his cock up and down, spreading the lubricant thoroughly around his shaft. Once satisfied, Giyuu used the remnants of the oil to rub it against her cunt, sighing as she slid over her aching hole, dipping her fingers inside briefly; Sanemi was fingering her this morning after all. Anything else left on her palm, she wiped against her thigh before standing on her knees and straddling over Sanemi's lap. Sanemi's scarred hand massaged and groped at her hips, urging her closer. Giyuu reached underneath herself, grasping Sanemi's cock to help guide it towards her needy feeling hole. "Mhmm…" She sighed feeling the thick head against her bottom pair of lips. Giyuu rocked her hips side to side, enjoying the teasing feeling of his tip before shifting her weight lower- "Mhm!" The initial feeling of his tip popping through always excited her, it was a small taste of what was to come.
Sanemi groaned, running his hand up and under her white button up. He leaned forward pressing kisses to her lips as she sunk further down before releasing his shaft and placing her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Giyuu sighed against Sanemi's lips, vibrating them as she shifted her hips forward and down to slip more of his length inside with a drawn out moan. Giyuu only sat still for a moment before lifting herself on her knees and dropping back down.
A groan left both their lips, causing them to separate briefly, Sanemi's arms wrapped around Giyuu's curved waist; adding support to her endeavor in finding a rhythm. Giyuu rose herself higher, a breath stuck in her throat on the way down while Sanemi latched his mouth onto her neck. Lifting up and dropping back down, Giyuu's arms around his neck shift for her hand to grip his hair. As much as he teases her for liking her hair pulled, it seemed he wasn't that much better. He rumbles a moan, popping off her neck while pleased with the sting his hair pulled brings him. "Fuuuuck—" Sanemi groaned, rocking his hips into Giyuu's.
"Haa-!" Giyuu's stomach muscles flexed from the grind, sending a hot shiver up her spine. Leaning back, Giyuu placed a hand on Sanemi's shoulder to balance herself, their eyes met… His eyes always seemed less manic when they were dilated like they were now. While she was entranced by the feral look he often gave, this stare had definitely become her favorite. A soft sound left her lips when their hips met again, her body working on instincts as she rode his cock. Sanemi's hips bucked up to meet her own which forced heavenly moans out of her mouth. "Sh-shit— ohh!" Giyuu's body jerked at a particular good meet, his head brushed over the spongy spot inside of her quivering walls.
Giyuu's moans were swallowed up by Sanemi's mouth, their kiss was anything but neat, their teeth clanked and lips bruised in the heat of the moment while their tongues wrestled. It was perfect for the two of them. Strong arms wrapped around Giyuu's waist pulled her flush against Sanemi's burning body, he always ran so hot that it made her feel warm inside and out. Giyuu rolled her hips over and over, moaning without a care into Sanemi's lips that lessened the obscene sounds. She gasped, nearly choking on his tongue as his hips slammed up into hers harder. "Nngh-!" The sound escaping her mouth was wet and lewd, seeming to drive her lover further. The pounding was suddenly fast and hard, desperate even.
"Augh!"
Giyuu gasped as Sanemi suddenly lifted her to pull out of her cunt. She could feel him frantically pumping his cock, groaning deeply as his orgasm played through. Panting, Giyuu rested her head on his shoulder, she decided to give him a moment before telling him to use his mouth to finish her off. Her cunt was throbbing, she was so close it hurt. Perhaps she miscalculated slightly by giving him the blow job while she settled down, though she didn't regret it. Before Giyuu could reach between her legs to ease some of the tension, she gasped as the arm around her back suddenly lifted her a few inches. "Wha- ohh—!" Her aching, soaked walls were throbbing around Sanemi's cock once again. She trembled, gasping, panting as Sanemi started thrusting up into her pussy while she braced herself in his lap. Briefly she caught a glimpse of him wiping his hand that caught his seed on the futon's cover, but she was far too occupied to consider anything about it. "Ha—aah! Sanemi!" Giyuu raised higher on her knees, while her legs jerked and shook from the force Sanemi was using on her. "Yes— yes, yes, yes!" Her edge was coming forward fast, Giyuu arched her back, lulling her head back, unintentionally giving Sanemi space to bite. "Ah!" Giyuu yipped at the surprise pinch of pain, it caused her to clench tightly around Sanemi's cock, making Sanemi growl along the space where her shoulder and neck meet.
Sanemi pulled off her neck, licking at the fresh teeth marks on her skin where it'll blossom into a galaxy of colors, all the while not stopping his hips. "You close?" He grunted, the overstimulation of his spent cock was making his body twitch and jerk. However he was a man of his word, and his lover wanted to cum on his cock, so cumming on his cock is what she's going to do.
"Yes!" Giyuu shouted louder than she intended to, though not caring much about it in the hazy chase to the finish line. "So close!" She bounced faster, panting heavily at the harsh slaps of skin on skin. Cursing, Giyuu's hand flew down between her legs, frantically rubbing at her neglected, swollen clit. It didn't take long after that to reach her goal. "Sanemi!" Giyuu wailed out his name while stars shot behind her eyes, her legs freezing from their ride, however Sanemi's constant bucks drove her further into her orgasm. "Ngh— fuck!" Short nails dug into Sanemi's shoulder, the bits of fat on her inner thighs were shaking as her legs trembled. "Oh fuck— oh fuck!" Her voice squeaked, a broken shout coming from her throat once she couldn't take the addictive overload of her prolonged orgasm. Giyuu shot up high on her knees, causing Sanemi's cock to slip out wetly.
Taking in gulps of air, Giyuu dropped her weight down now that Sanemi had stopped the perfect assault on her cunt. Her walls were pulsing in its afterglow, thoroughly sore in the best way. Giyuu gave a drawn out curse, resting her chin on her fiancé's shoulder. "Fuck… I'm… I-I'm going to bed…" she shut her eyes, ignoring Sanemi's rude chuckle while he stroked her back.
"Is that right?" He mocked harmlessly, lifting Giyuu up in his arms and turning on his knees so he could place her down on the futon to lay with her head on a pillow. His cock ached a bit from fucking his lover during the refractory peroid, but fuck it was worth it seeing how blissed out Giyuu was on their bed. "Oh, damn." With his eyes adjusted well in the dim moonlight. "Look how fucking soaked you got my pants." Sanemi marveled in amazement, noticing a dark patch around his fly when he was going to tuck his softening cock back in his pants.
Giyuu opened her eyes, lifting her head to see… only to drop it with a groan, her face feeling a touch hot with the proof of just how wet she had become during sex. She had already known and felt it, but seeing it just made her feel bashful.
Sanemi snickered, deciding to just take off his pants and fundoshi, tossing them to the side as he walked to the chest of drawers to pull out some sleeping yukatas for the both of them. "You asleep already?" Sanemi asked, dropping Giyuu's yukata next to her as he tied his own on.
"…Yes." Giyuu quietly answered.
Sanemi chuckled, kneeling down and hovering over his lover. He began to unbutton her top, easing it off her shoulders as she attempted to stay laying with her eyes closed. Sanemi huffed, placing a hand under Giyuu's back and lifting her enough to twist the fabric that covered her breast around so he could untie it. Once done, Sanemi gently patted her small breast now that it was bare, making the bit of fat jiggle for his own amusement. Afterwards, he gently dabbed between her legs with a discarded article of clothing that was taken off. "You want your yukata on or are you just gonna stay naked?"
"…I'll stay naked." Giyuu sighed, relaxing as Sanemi tossed the now dirty piece of clothing and laid down next to her. "…Can I ask you something?"
Sanemi hummed, bringing Giyuu into his arms, she settled immediately. "Sure."
She was quiet for a moment, listening to the sound of his heart beat against his chest. "…It's about the onsen."
"The onsen?" Sanemi repeated. They hadn't exactly spoken much about the hotel they were both staying in during that blizzard. It's come up in passing, but never directly about it. Giyuu gave a hum to confirm it. "What about it?" He attempted to think of what she was going to bring up about the hotel, yet came up empty handed.
Giyuu's hand slowly massaged against Sanemi's chest, feeling the fruits of his labor. "I'm not sure if you even remember them… The three men that shared their drinks with me the first night-?"
"What about them?" Sanemi interrupted quickly, feeling annoyance building up in his veins.
"Ah, so you do." Giyuu nodded. "…" She was quite for a moment while she thought about how to word her question. "Were… were they rude to you?"
"Rude to me?" He emphasized the 'me' at the end of his sentence.
"Yes. Did they say anything rude to you while there?" Giyuu persisted with her question that wasn't answered.
Sanemi traced his memory. For a time, he had forgotten about those bastards. Were they rude to him? They definitely didn't like him, after all he had gotten between them and Giyuu. They three glared his way and he remembered he heard them mumble not so kind names aimed at him under their breath. However due to the blizzard he couldn't just fight them without the very real repercussions of getting kicked out. "They were old bastards, doesn't really matter if they were rude to me." Sanemi was used to the stares and gossip that comes when he's around the public.
"It matters to me." Giyuu said firmly, tilting her head up towards him. She sighed out against his skin. "I…I know I can't pick up on social clues very well… it's always been that way. I needed to rely on others like… like my sister or Sabito to point out when I'd misread situations." Her and Sanemi's first interaction was a good example of it. Giyuu had stared too long and Sanemi interpreted it as judgmental, unfortunately Giyuu wasn't sure how to de-escalate the situation and ended up making the tension between them worse by just walking away. She could only imagine Sanemi originally didn't sit next to her for comfort if those men were being disrespectful to him, so he had to have picked up on something she didn't see. "I just… I hope I hadn't forced you to be around others that were cruel towards you." She recalls them calling out to her after dinner, insisting on walking her to her room because they had thought Sanemi was a stranger to her… At the time she thought it was kind that they were attempting to look out for her… now however she felt foolish.
A long sigh left Sanemi's lips, he reached a clean hand towards his face and rubbed at it with a groan. "Look… They were perverted assholes, alright? The old bastards were pissed I wouldn't let them— just fucking let them be alone around you." It was an overly simple way of saying it… They had targeted her, it made him sick to think of it.
"So they were rude to you." Was Giyuu's take away.
Sanemi huffed once more. "Yes, I'm used to that shit. Nothing about me exactly screams 'friendly'. I got a face that people love to insult, start shit with." His eyes widened as Giyuu reached up to cup his jaw, her brows furrowed slightly.
"I like your face quite a lot…" Giyuu pressed a small kiss to his lips. "It's the face that's going to be my husband's…" Her thumb gently massaged the texture difference between his skin and old scarring that ran across his face. "I don't like the idea that others were disrespectful to it."
Sanemi stared down at his fiancé, his heart speeding up at her words… It made him feel even more confident in his decision. "Where'd all this come from?" He asked softly, wrapping both arms around her back and holding her close.
With a considering hum, Giyuu sighed. "It turned out those men work at the village near where Himejima's training took place."
"Ha?" Sanemi's tone quickly became clear aggravation, his brow twitched while a vein began to throb by his forehead. "You mean to tell me you ran into those pricks again?" His fingers twitched, wanting so badly to ball into a fist.
"Two of the three, unfortunately-"
"The fuck they do?" Sanemi demanded. "If they fucking said or did anything to you-" He wasn't expecting Giyuu's hand by his face to gently pat at his cheek.
"They didn't… They had asked if you joined me to the village, then…" She contemplated telling him the rest, however felt it would be best he knew rather than like his mind come up with worse scenarios. "The men began saying very unbecoming things about you the moment they realized you weren't there."
Sanemi clicked his tongue. "Tsk, I'm not fucking surprised." He grunted. What cowards those men really were.
Giyuu hummed. "… I'm not sure if I'd be welcomed back in that village." She confessed. The villagers seemed more angry at the men, but she wasn't exactly told she was off the hook for what she did.
"Eh?" Sanemi's anger took a pause.
"Well…" Giyuu began with a sigh. "I didn't appreciate them talking so badly about the man I was going to marry… I may have acted impulsively… and knocked the one unconscious and threatened the other on a butcher's block. I acted a bit too much on my emotions, however they needed to understand I don't take insults to you lightly. Fear is a great teacher afterall."
"…" Sanemi blinked in the darkness. "You threatened him on a butcher's block..?" His blood was turning hot.
"Ah, yes. Their place of business was at a fish stand and that's where they called out to me while I was looking for salmon in front of the block they were cutting fish at. There were plenty of knives on the board so I…" Giyuu cleared her throat, explaining her unflattering actions. "I may… have used them to force the one to stay across it… In my defense, they were very rude to you and it made me angry."
"Are you trying to seduce me?"
Sanemi had asked so quickly and out of the blue it caught Giyuu completely by surprise. "H-huh?" She squeaked when Sanemi rolled them off of their sides, hovering over her as he began peppering kisses over her neck.
"Fuck— that imaginary is so damn hot." Sanemi mumbled against her skin as he kissed up towards her ear. "Using their own fucking knives to threaten them, damnit, Yuu." His hands began feeling up her strong thighs. "I would have paid to see their reactions to you scaring the shit out of them."
A shuddering whine slipped through Giyuu's lips as Sanemi began kissing near her ear, biting at the lobe making her shiver and arch her back at the hot swirling signs that she was beginning to get turned back on. Her body was still sensitive from her orgasm only minutes ago. "Sanemi—"
"One more time." He grunted, hands roaming up her hips and spreading her thighs to go on either side of his waist while he quickly untied the front of his sleeping yukata. Sanemi's cock was beginning to spring back to life at the new development.
"E-eh?" Giyuu stared dumbfoundedly at him. "B-because I told you how I belittled them?"
"Exactly. That shit fucking turns me on." Sanemi explained bluntly, reaching for the bottle of oil they placed next to the futon at some point. He then grinned, a smile stretching ear to ear as he gazed down at Giyuu. "Looks like I found myself a wife that would fight for my honor." While it was said in a teasing manner… there was truth behind his words.
Giyuu's heart was fluttering, blood rushing hotly through her veins. "Yes..." Was all she managed to get out. The sudden excitement of how Sanemi took her confession of beating the men that wronged him made her feel dizzy in the best way. She couldn't deny him, didn't want to even though she knew she was going to be exhausted in the morning. Afterall, she was becoming aroused as well. "One… one more round." Giyuu couldn't lie, she was eager as Sanemi began to grin widely, pouring the oil over his cock and pumping it. Giyuu's legs parted for her lover to fit perfectly between them. Lulling her head back once she felt his tip swiping at her already drooling cunt.
…
…
"Caw!"
"Mhhp—?!"
Sanemi's hand suddenly came up, gripping the slayer's face that was charging at him, stopping him in his tracks. It was average infinite strike training with his group, however, Sorai's call caused him to take a pause. The slayer that currently had his face covered by Sanemi's calloused palm was trembling, unsure of what to do at the sudden grab, couldn't even release his bokken that he was about to swing. Sanemi raised his arm that held his own wooden sword, allowing his Kasugai crow to land safely on the perch he created for him. Sanemi then pushed the slayer to the ground once his bird was safely perched on him and focused his attention on Sorai. The black bird hopped closer to his shoulder, Sorai enjoyed being close towards his head, often snuggling up in the crook of his neck during the colder months.
"Pillar Meeting! Scheduled for two hours from now!" He relayed his message proudly. Sanemi cursed softly, he knew a meeting was going to arrive sooner or later. However he was quite enjoying the routine he and Giyuu had made for themselves. Sanemi will have to pull and assign a few Kinoes to take over their training while they're gone. No doubt Giyuu is receiving the same message-
"Ack!" Sanemi jerked as another crow attempted to land on his head but missed its mark. "Son of a bitch, Kanzaburo!" Sanemi quickly caught the old crow, knowing it was him before even seeing him. He witnessed Kanzaburo land on Giyuu's head perfectly fine, though he contributes that to how thick Giyuu's hair is. Sanemi's is significantly thinner compared to hers. That's the only reasoning he can come up with. "What?" He asked the bird that was trembling as normal while he looked towards his face.
"…Master."
"I'm not your master." Sanemi retorted quickly. Was he confused again?
"…Master, a message." Kanzaburo continued, ignoring Sanemi's long sigh. "Meeting… a meeting… in…" the old crow trailed off, glancing away for a moment before turning back to Sanemi. "In… three hours..?" It truly felt like he was speaking with an old man that had early onset dementia…
"Is that right?" Sanemi groaned, completely understanding why Giyuu had issues showing up on time to all their meetings… For a moment he felt guilty for always bombarding her about being late back then. There was a soft caw on his shoulder.
"Two! In two hours!" Sorai corrected the older bird.
"Two..?" Kanzaburo tilted his head up at the younger bird.
"Two!"
"Ah… In two hours, master." Kanzaburo corrected softly.
Sanemi grunted, pinching his brows as he held Kanzaburo to his side carefully. Turning his head towards his own Kasugai crow, he whispered. "Go tell Giyuu about the meeting." Sorai gave a firm nod before hopping off and flapping his wings to fly towards the South Gate.
….
….
Nearly two hours later, Sanemi along with Giyuu by his side were outside of their Master's hidden estate, the weather had finally cooled enough that Giyuu had her button up on with her sleeves rolled up. While he enjoyed admiring her form and the marks he left on her skin, he was relieved he wouldn't have to hear about it from their colleagues. Their teasing always pissed him off even if Giyuu seemed immune to it. However, she was picking up on more undertones, so it's a possibility it could bother her as well. Point was, he wished to get the meeting over with quickly, they'd probably be dragged out to a meal with the other Pillars afterwards. By the time the lovers would be back to the Wind Estate, Sanemi could guess they may spar a bit before getting in a hot bath. Same thing near daily… and he craves it all the same. It felt fulfilling to end his day the same way with Giyuu.
"Ah, it sure is odd seeing you here on time."
The two shifted their attention to the soft, condescending voice. Shinobu stood next to Mitsuri, a small, unwavering smile on her face as she gazed upon the couple.
"Oh, don't be mean!" Mitsuri gently patted her slim shoulder. "Hello! It's great to see you two again!" Mitsuri was beaming as she greeted them, her green eyes darting to their hands. Sanemi couldn't help but imagine she was trying to see if they were holding hands. She was a romantic after all. A hopeless one at that.
"Hello, Mitsuri, Shinbou." Giyuu greeted them calmly with a small bow of her head, the comment rolled off her shoulder instantly.
"Hello, Giyuu-san." Shinobu smiled, her eyes shifting to Sanemi with that smile that always rubbed him the wrong was. "And hello to you too, Shinazugawa. You're looking well! I'm glad you haven't shown up to my office recently. No self-inflicted injuries or otherwise, I see." She tilted her head back to Giyuu. "I take it you've been keeping him in line. Good job! I can only imagine it's difficult work."
Sanemi felt his eye twitch, she was always trying to get under his skin. "Can't you ever be quiet?" He hissed, crossing his arms under his chest.
"No. Especially since that seems to be your type now." Shinbou retorted quickly, as she continued to smile at him.
"Ha? The fuck is that supposed to mean?" Sanemi sneered. Before he could get an awnser, a loud voice came through behind them.
"Shinazugawa! Tomioka! It's great seeing you two again so soon! And hello Mitsuri and Kocho-san!" The booming familiar voice of Rengoku rang out. Sanemi was surprised to see him in a slayers uniform… along with his Nichirin sword at his hip. It made him uncomfortable at just what he could be thinking of doing, he shouldn't be in any shape to be going out on missions let alone swinging a blade. Thankfully, Shinobu thought the same as she quickly stepped forward towards the blonde before Sanemi or Giyuu could respond to him.
"Why do you have your sword?" She asked quickly, the never moving smile suddenly fell from her face.
"Ah, please have no worries! I know I'm still not given permission to go on missions or train just yet! However my Nichirin blade was sent to the new location of the sword smith village." He extended his hand outwards to invite the shorter man, making himself visible by stepping under the large gate's threshold. Sanemi felt a vein pop in his neck seeing Iguro. He was still bitter at those letters he had sent him. "Obanai was kind enough to retrieve it for me! He had just given it to me, I swear!" Rengoku laughed, with his hands on his hips. Even his laugh sounded stronger… He truly was healing more and more everyday. Sanemi wondered what could be in those horse pills that are prescribed to him.
Shinobu didn't look fully satisfied with that explanation. They all thought it, no doubt about it… Rengoku was preparing himself if he was going to be needed in some way… He was having his blade sharpened and fixed up, his uniform was slightly baggier than it was before his run in with the upper moon. There was still muscle mass he had lost that needed to be built up again… But Rengoku was subtly showing that he was willing to fight once more. Sanemi thought about his brief conversation with Uzui… How if that wound reopens… Rengoku will die.
"Ah… Did I miss it..?" A somber voice of Tokito asked out loud, walking towards the group of Pillars.
"N-no! The meeting hasn't started yet!" Mitsuri was quick to respond, anything to get out of the tension floating around them.
"Oh… then why is everyone around the gate..?" He asked with a tilt of his head.
"No need to worry, Tokito-kun!" Rengoku smiled wide, clapping his hand on the young boy's shoulder. "You're right however! We should move ourselves further inside! The zen garden is no doubt where the meeting will be held in this lovely weather!" The blonde guided Tokito past the gate. Tokito didn't fight him, seeming rather content with just being dragged around.
With silent glances between them, the high ranking slayers all made their way in further to the large estate. None were surprised to see Himejima already sitting peacefully in the zen garden near the engawa of the building. A bit more chatter came up, Sanemi and Iguro shared a heated glare at each other though neither acted upon anything considering where they were at.
A soft shh sound of a sliding door grabbed their attention. Instead of their Master… his wife Ubuyashiki Amane stood in front of the eight Pillars, two of her daughters on either side of her. "Greetings… Unfortunately my husband is feeling too unwell at the moment to gather strength to give this meeting… Please bare with me." She bowed her head to them all. Each bowed as they would to her husband to her, giving her the respect she deserved. The pain of knowing how ill their master had truly become was devastating… though they powered through it to give her their full attention.
…
The meeting was rather casual, all things considering. Amane spoke about the progress of their training, how it seems that casualties have gone down quite a bit in reports. She thanked them all for that. Though there still were deaths nonetheless… Amane ended the meeting as her husband would have, bowing her head and gently dismissing them. All waited till she returned back inside the estate before standing from their positions.
A loud clap gathered their attention. "Well then! How about our usual?" Rengoku grinned triumphantly, as if saying he is able to go back to how things used to be.
"That sounds wonderful!" Mitsuri squealed, quickly skipping towards the blonde.
Sanemi stretched his back before making his way towards the two loud months, knowing he'd be called over sooner or later as they always do when planning on having a meal together.
"Excuse me, Giyuu-san?" Sanemi glanced over his shoulder in time to see Tokito stroll up to his fiancé. "Congratulations." He began softly. Sanemi was a bit surprised that Tokito found out about their engagement, by the how Giyuu's eyes became a touch more doe like, seems she didn't realize either. Sanemi wondered if Giyuu had told that Kamado brat about it, he wouldn't be surprised if that's who Tokito heard it from. It made him wonder… if his brother knows of their engagement. He pushed back any thoughts of what his brother's reaction could be.
"Oh, thank you." Giyuu responded. Sanemi decided to continue his way towards the others, allowing Giyuu to speak with the boy on her own. Even if he was technically involved in that conversation, Tokito had called to Giyuu, not him. He also wanted to let her have her own conversations without him suddenly eavesdropping or butting in.
Towards the rest of the Pillars, all were speaking about going to the Izakaya restaurant again like they used to. It gave a nostalgic feeling… even if they were missing the retired Sound Pillar. Sanemi couldn't help but feel the bastard would somehow be at the restaurant.
Mitsuri clapped her hands as she turned to Sanemi once he was only a handful of feet away. "Ah and that's right! Shinazugawa-san can get Giyuu-san to join us now!" She seemed excited about it. Her once failed endeavors of having the Water Pillar join them no longer seemed to be an issue since the first time Sanemi convinced her to follow them.
"I can't get her to do shit." Sanemi grunted. "If you want her to join you have to ask her yourself-" As Sanemi jutted his thumb over his shoulder towards the two quiet pillars, his eyes widened as he heard sudden, frantic steps in the gravel near the building. He twisted his body to the sound, catching the tail end of Giyuu opening and slamming the sliding door that Amane-san had left through. Tokito stood frozen, taken aback from her sudden reaction. "Yuu..?" Sanemi's voice was anything but audible. He blinked and the surprise was wiped from his face, replaced with rage as he stormed towards Tokito. "What the fuck did you say to her?!" His fist quickly balled the front of the boy's uniform, jerking him closer.
"Sh—Shinazugawa-san, please! Let's not fight!" It was Mitsuri that was the first to frantically join the two in an attempt to break up any fight.
"Shut up!" Sanemi barked at the Love Pillar.
"Shinazugawa!" Iguro's voice only made him angrier. "Do not blame Tokito for that woman's hysteric behavior. Drop him." Sanemi's hold only tightened, Tokito knew better than to even attempt to wiggle free, just stared as if he was watching it all from a distance.
"Hysteric?!" Sanemi snapped his neck towards the Serpant Pillar. "If you think she has the fucking capability to over react to anything, you're more stupid than you look!" He ignored whatever else Iguro could retort with to focus on Tokito as the others quickly gathered around the scene he was making. "What did you say?!"
Tokito cautiously placed a hand on Sanemi's wrist. "I…I asked if she knew how the old Water Pillar passed away…"
Sanemi's eyes widened, the burning rage replaced by an icy feeling overtaking his gut. He untangled his fist from the boy's uniform, dropping him back to his feet, a heavy sigh came from his lips as he rubbed at his face and pushed his short hair back. "Son of a bitch… Urokodaki died?" Sanemi's eyes flickered back towards the shut door where he caught a glimpse of Giyuu running through. It was immediately understood why she had reacted in such a way. While Giyuu hasn't said it outright… The way she spoke about her old master told just how highly she held him. There was fondness in her eyes, even with how terrible her training was on that mountain. Giyuu valued every day spent there with the older man and boy that trained beside her… That boy; Sabito had already passed… hearing that Urokodaki has died as well-
"Whose that?" Tokito asked with a tilt of his head.
"Ha?" Sanemi stared at the boy.
"Ah, Urokodaki-san was the former Water Pillar." Rengoku stepped in to answer. "I had met him once when I was younger, back when my father was the current Flame Pillar. He was the Water Pillar before my father even took over his father's position. Urokodaki-san was a great, extremely skilled swordsman." The blonde praised with a rather somber smile at the information he passed.
"No? The last Water Pillar wasn't old. He was about their age." Tokito's finger circled Sanemi and Iguro.
"Who are you talking about, Tokito-san?" Shinobu raised a brow at the cryptic description.
"You know… the guy that was really quiet…" While the Mist Pillars eyes were more clear nowadays, there was a slight daze in them as he traced his memory from before the Swordsmith village incident. "Uhh… I remember his haori was interesting… kinda like patch work or something..? What was his name… To—Tomita..? No, that wasn't it." He pondered, pulling at his bottom lip.
It clicked instantly to all of them. "Tomioka?!" Sanemi shouted in disbelief, his anger raiding back up.
Tokito snapped his fingers at him. "Yes, that was his name. I was congratulating Giyuu-san on becoming the new Water Pillar and was curious how the old one died. He wasn't old like Uzui-san, so he was far too young to have just retired."
Sanemi threw his face in his hands and screamed. He briefly heard one of the others attempt to explain to Tokito they were the same person but he seemed stuck on the matter. Saying 'No, Giyuu-san is definitely a woman. I'm pretty sure Tomioka was a man.' Of course! Of course the boy with amnesia for fucking years couldn't remember Giyuu without her haori! He also talks to that bastard Kamado, Sanemi could just hear his annoying voice calling 'Giyuu-san! Giyuu-san!' Tokito must have picked it up without connecting anything. Giyuu had mentioned that Tokito said she reminded him of the current Water Pillar when she did his training. She was too stunned and a bit embarrassed to correct him yet didn't blame him for getting confused at his previous condition.
"Ah, so this all was a misunderstanding…" Rengoku offered a smile to the group, his gaze settling on Sanemi who seemed to still be fuming. "Master will surely tell Tomioka-san that it was a mistake and Urokodaki-san is more than likely alive." Sanemi was too heated to agree with him. Rengoku raised his hand to pat Sanemi's shoulder but a sharp glare from the albino man and he decided to save the friendly touch for later.
"Sh-should we wait for her..?" Mitsuri asked cautiously towards Sanemi, he understood her best after all considering their relationship.
"No." He replied with a grumble, rubbing his face again. "You fuckers can leave. We'll show up later." Sanemi only added that to get them off their backs. He couldn't imagine Giyuu would want to go out and have a meal with them all after going through a panic she most definitely just experienced. He would no doubt be going through the same dread if someone asked him how Genya had died. Even if it was a idiotic mistake, Sanemi would feel the pain of the loss.
"Ara ara, and you're going to wait for her here? What a sweet boy you've become. Just needed a good hit in the head for that, huh?" Shinbou mocked, a hand near her mouth as that counterfeit smile was back.
Sanemi gritted his teeth. It was going to be sooner or later that she would have figured out how his mysterious head injury was from. Though right now he didn't want to get into a conversation about it. "I don't need your shit! Of course I'm fucking waiting for her." He pointed accusingly at the Insect Pillar, as if she was stupid to assume otherwise. Shinobu's brow twitched slightly yet her smile stayed.
"Alright! Alright!" Rengoku clapped. "We'll move along to the restaurant! And when we get there we'll save seats for you two!" He smiled widely to cut the tension.
"Fine, whatever. Just fucking leave." Sanemi sneered, his blood was still boiling too hotly. He needed to calm down before Giyuu exited the estate. Him being upset isn't going to help her. The group of Pillars exchanged some glances and chatter before begrudgingly leaving their Master's Estate. They told him again that seats would be waiting for himself and Giyuu as they left. Sanemi took a seat in the low engawa, sighing deeply into his hand as he ran his hand through his short hair once more. He just knew some shit was going to happen today.
…
Giyuu frantically raced through the elegant halls, her adrenaline pumping through her veins in a way it hasn't done in years.
Fear.
She was afraid. It's cold hands gripped around her heart, making her body freeze even in the last of the summer's warmth.
"Master!" Giyuu wailed, if anyone knew, it would be him. He knew of each and every death that happens in his organization, cared and mourned them all. Even the ones of those who have retired. Giyuu's head snapped as she heard a door slide open, she was met with the surprised gaze of Aname-san. "P-please, I need to speak with the Master!" She begged, hands trembling as she stood in front of her Master's wife.
Aname's brows furrowed, surprised yet concerned. "I'm not sure if he's well enough-"
"Aname…You may let Tomioka-san in. This seems important." A kind, weak voice called from inside the room. Aname nodded, opening the door wider for Giyuu to enter. Giyuu forced herself not to bolt inside, yet her pace was still one of panic. Passing the threshold, the room clearly wasn't a bedroom, yet a futon was laid out for their Master. He was limply laying on it, bandages covering nearly all of his skin. She would never say it out loud… but there was a stench in the room that reminded her of death… It wasn't comforting. Even with all the dried flowers surrounding him, she smelt rot. "Now then… what has gotten you in such a twist, my child?" Even through his pain, Ubuyashiki asked gently with a smile.
Giyuu dropped to her knees a few feet from the bed, bowing her head deeply. "Please—! T-Tokito had informed me that my—that Urokodaki-san had died…" Shaking fists gripped the fabric of her pants. "I—I just… I need to know… how…" Giyuu was praying over and over that it was at least a peaceful death… one without pain and suffering from the hands of those monsters. Praying he had at least died in his sleep. She was cursing herself over and over for not reaching out. For not telling him about her engagement or how light and happy she's been feeling. Has Giyuu been living a damn fantasy with Sanemi while she left Urokodaki to rot on that mountain..? Giyuu kept picturing Urokodaki's body looking like one of the disgusting, dried corpses that some demons liked to hang around their lair like decoration. And she just left him like that. She couldn't forgive herself! After everything he's done for her? Giving her a home, cooking meals for her, teaching her how to survive off the land and training her into the warrior she is today! For… for giving her comfort and trust when no one else could… This is how she repaid him..?
"Urokodaki-san..?" Ubuyashiki repeated quietly. A small smile raising upon his face again. "I'm sorry to say, but it seems Tokito may be a little confused. Please forgive him for any fear he caused, however, Urokodaki-san is still very much alive and doing well from my understanding. I had gotten word from one of my crows that he was spotted in a bountiful vegetable garden near his home just the other day."
Giyuu was frozen on the spot… her eyes burnt with the stinging relief that flooded her body. "He's… he's still alive..?" Tears were welled up in her eyes, Giyuu forced them to stay back. She couldn't let them fall… if she did they wouldn't stop. It would be in bad taste to show Ubuyashiki-san how weak she truly is.
There was a polite hum from the ill man in front of her. "That is correct. Still alive and well." Ubuyashiki smiled patiently at her.
Giyuu nearly folded herself in half as she bowed her head to the floor. "I truly apologize for my behavior." Now that her distressing panic was for nothing, Giyuu's actions of budging in and demanding to speak with the master while he was feeling so unwell was unforgivable. All added to the disgusting waves of anxiety swirling in her chest. "I—I allowed my emotions to get the better of me. I promise it won't happen again."
There was a gentle chuckle. "Please lift your head, my child. There is no reason to apologize. I completely understand why you would be in such a panic." He cleared his throat softly, as if suppressing a cough. "Here, lend me your head." Ubuyashiki weakly raised his hand, it was trembling softly as it gently patted the top of Giyuu's head when she shuffled closer. The touch was light, a caring, loving touch only a father could give his children. "Please never apologize for your emotions. Truthfully, I am glad you were able to express them outwardly just now instead of pushing them down to handle them by yourself." A soft chuckle came from his voice. "I have heard that our Wind Pillar has helped with this endeavor. Is that true?" He teased lightly, like a parent teasing their child for having a crush.
Giyuu's face warmed softly. Not only from the comfort, but from the fact their Master apparently knew something or another about her and Sanemi's relationship. "Yes…" Giyuu answered quietly, unsure of what response he wanted to hear.
He chuckled once more before weakly returning his hand to his side, resting it along the futon. "That is wonderful news. I wish you two the very best."
"You…you approve?" Giyuu lifted her head, she had expected him to be upset that two of his highest ranking slayers had formed such an intimate relationship. It could distract them from their responsibilities… and they definitely have gotten distracted by each other… Multiple times a day at that.
"Of course." He shut his eyes, seemingly tired of keeping them open while his vision was so poor. "I am saddened when my children pass, they take bits of my heart with them each time. I truly wish for them to find happiness while they can still walk this beautiful world. And two of my children finding happiness within each other makes me very glad." He gave a little laugh. "Though I will say I have gotten some interesting reports about the dynamics of the two of you in the Wind Estate. That doesn't bother me all that much. It's fascinating that you two could become so lively with each other's influence."
"Opposites attract." Aname-san offered, which her husband hummed agreedly to.
"It would seem so." Ubuyashiki took in a gentle breath. "I will ask you two to please be a bit more gentle with our lower ranked men… While I do not agree with the actions of those two men that were sent in a severe condition to the Butterfly Estate rather recently, and I do believe they should have been punished… I can't help but feel Shinazugawa-san may have gone a little overboard… The moment the two gained consciousness, both resigned immediately. Perhaps talk him out of that much harm next time he takes it upon himself to set manners?"
Giyuu grimaced, relieved he had his eyes shut. While she didn't exactly encourage Sanemi to go that hard on the corps members… She certainly didn't tell him to stop. Giyuu also… anticipated for Sanemi to take action. She knew exactly what she was doing when she called out to him instead of just taking care of it herself… Giyuu's stomach was twisting in the worst knots. She felt ill. "Yes, Master." Giyuu bowed her head.
Ubuyashiki smiled, sighing as he rested further in his futon. "Thank you, Tomioka-san… Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Giyuu gently shook her head before answering. "No… Thank you for your clarity. I believe I shall take my leave now." Giyuu bowed her head low on the floor before standing after he gave her the permission needed to leave.
"The pleasure was all mine. I believe the rest of my children are going to that nice little restaurant they normally enjoy. Please consider joining them if you are hungry." Ubuyashiki offered gently.
How could Giyuu have an appetite after the pure dread and guilt she had felt. "Thank you, I shall consider it." She took her leave after thanking and bowing to both of them once more.
The estates halls were perfectly clean, silent with both life and vacancy. Even while empty, the halls spoke of life inside. Her mind thought of how the Water Estate echoed, how it'd mock her by showing just what a failure she was in keeping the life of a current alive. The estate was stale and dead. It was filthy a majority of the time, she could never bring herself to clean the rooms that weren't the main few she occupied. The others all built up layers of sticky dust even while empty. Giyuu attempted to do what she could for the sake of the estate once belonging to Urokodaki-san, however it was exhausting to keep the building up to standards for only ghosts. It was multigenerational, yet she couldn't even add a single generation to it. No Tsuguko. No lower rank slayers she'd train under her. Giyuu couldn't put her trust in her own skills to do so. She wanted to give the estate to Tanjiro along with the Water Pillar title. Tanjiro has so much potential… He would have more use out of the large building. Tanjiro could give the other wing to his friends and allow them all to live together. Giyuu could imagine how happy they'd all be coming home after a tiring mission. And Giyuu's promise would be—
Giyuu nearly tripped over her own foot at her train of thought… Her promise would be fulfilled, that's what she told herself over and over while talking attempting to push the idea to Tanjiro. She thought of the tall trees in Mount Sagiri, how she just wanted to be back on that mountain with everyone that had already passed… Urokodaki wasn't allowed to die before her… She wasn't allowed to say she wanted to die… Sabito made her promise that she'd have to keep going and give it her all until she couldn't any longer. Giyuu had been convincing herself that if Tanjiro took over… then her promise would be met. She would have given it her all, and she wanted to go back to that mountain… to rest. If Urokodaki would allow her, she had wanted to live near him again. Giyuu told herself that would be a part of the promise she made with Sabito. She wasn't going to… to just give up. She'd make sure their teacher was alive and well… he was getting up there in age, despite his skill and ability… He was only human. Giyuu would do that until they all were together in the graveyard on Mount Sagiri. That was her promise.
Giyuu hadn't been obsessively thinking about that promise as of late. It wasn't as if she was going on more missions. That's normally how she'd keep her mind occupied… Away from depressing thoughts, she needed to live in the present. What could she have been doing differently..?
Pulling open the sliding door towards the outside of the Master's home…
Sanemi…
The first thing Giyuu saw was the large kanji character that read 'kill' on Sanemi's back as he sat on the planks of the engawa. Beside him was one of the Master's daughters. It was the odd one out that had black hair like their father. Giyuu saw that both had sticks in their hands, and it seemed that they were drawing pictures in the dirt. Taking a step out and gently shutting the door, she was able to see over Sanemi's shoulder at the drawings. It looked like a random assortment of things. There were a few dogs, their curly tails had little marks around them to show they were wagging. Next to the dogs in a different, touch more childish drawing style were what looked to be cats. The drawings then spread out to be insects, specifically types of beetles. Giyuu wasn't well versed in many insects unless they were ones to avoid.
"Ready?" Sanemi had asked calmly, not looking over his shoulder and using the tip of the stick to make a horn on one of the beetles. The child in the kimono next to him looked over to her after drawing leaves around the bug Sanemi was drawing.
"…You're not going to eat with the others..?" Giyuu passed over his question.
"I'm not in the mood to deal with them. They annoy me." Sanemi said simply, handing the other stick over to the child that happily took it. Sanemi placed a hand on his jaw, pushing it till it cracked. With a soft huff from the release of pressure, Sanemi turned towards her, extending his hand to her even though both knew it wasn't necessary.
Giyuu stared at the offered hand for a moment… her head was still a mess of emotions, yet she reached out to take Sanemi's hand. With a hop, Giyuu's feet were on the ground next to Sanemi from the short ledge. The reverberation from the small leap made her head ache. Holding onto his hand however… she felt grounded.
The child smiled up at them as they sat down on the engawa, waving to the two as they began towards the gate. Sanemi gave a short wave back as Giyuu gave a curt nod. "…You're very kind to children…" Giyuu commented as they passed through the gate, opting to avoid speaking about her episode; she's sure he saw if he was waiting for her.
"I don't have a reason not to be." Sanemi glanced towards her, Giyuu's gaze was downward as they walked. He figured immediately she wouldn't be in a well enough mind set to make any type of eye contact. However he couldn't help but feel she was forcing herself to make conversation with him. Sanemi's thumb rubbed soft circles onto the back of Giyuu's hand. "We don't have to fill the silence."
He watched from the corner of his eye as Giyuu's chest rose from her deep inhale, then deflated as she gently exhaled. "Thank you..." Giyuu kept her stare straight ahead, cast down slightly. Sanemi faced ahead as well, allowing Giyuu to have some type of peace without a set of eyes on her.
…
…
The two arrived earlier than expected to the Wind Estate, normally with the after meeting meal, they'd return once the sun had set. However, there was still some time before evening truly took over the sky, signaling the troops to turn in. Before they dipped under the gate, Sanemi spoke quietly to his lover. "Go rest… I'll handle anything those idiots need." He brought her hand up to his lips, kissing her knuckles lightly before releasing his hold. As silly as it was, that really was the longest they had ever held hands.
Giyuu gave a short nod, he wasn't expecting her to suddenly become lively once they entered the estate. Yet it still gave time for worry to swirl in his chest. The halls were thankfully quiet as they entered. The men are still outside training, which gives Giyuu enough time to peacefully make it to their room, and or other spare room in that hall. Whichever she needed. Whatever she needed he'd give her.
…
The night sky felt like it was mocking him by how peaceful it seemed. Sanemi had a headache from dealing with the lower ranked slayers and even the higher ranked ones. Sanemi just wanted to lay down next to his fiancé, comfort her from the pain she felt. His mind kept reeling of what she could be overthinking or going through alone in their room or even one of the spare rooms. Worse of all, he didn't know the answer. He didn't know if her master was dead and he couldn't bring himself to ask her yet. Sanemi would like to pretend he was alive, that Giyuu would have been more… animated if Urokodaki passed away.
Sanemi gathered small portions of the meal that was prepared by the Kakushis. They seemed to understand not to bother or ask him something stupid. God, Sanemi wished the others could do the same. The amount of times he was asked where Giyuu was, it was pissing him off. He couldn't tell them she was distressed, didn't want them to try and "cheer" her up. All that would do would cause Giyuu more stress.
Quietly stepping into the restricted hall, Sanemi slid open the first spare room. He expected to see Giyuu, however the room was empty. After checking the other extra rooms, he sighed as they were all vacant. It meant Giyuu felt well enough to want his company in their bedroom. Carefully… Sanemi slid open the door at the end of the hall. Peaking his head inside… Sanemi slammed open the door once he realized the room was completely empty as all the others were. "Giyuu?" Sanemi quickly placed the plate down as he frantically raced around the room as if she could be hiding somewhere. Quickly lighting a lantern, Sanemi scanned the room in case she had left a letter somewhere. Sanemi would even suck up his pride and ask one of the Kakushis to explain a character if he was having issues reading it in his panic. But there was nothing. "Fuck— fuck!" Sanemi paced in a tight circle, he already knew where Giyuu had to be. That damn river…
Giyuu was strong, Sanemi knew she could handle herself. She had done everything solely by herself for years… But she wasn't alone anymore, Giyuu didn't need to hoard all her burdens till they buried her alive. Sanemi had two hands he'd proudly use to help her carry the weight.
Sanemi rushed out the estate, ignoring the residents that quickly moved out of his way as he bulldozed through the halls. He hadn't even closed the large front door after ripping it open.
…